Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is becoming an important identification technology in applications such as inventory management, security access, personnel identification, factory automation, automotive toll debiting, and vehicle identification to name just a few. RFID systems utilize an RFID transmitter-receiver unit (usually referred to as a base station or interrogator) to query an RFID transponder or tag which may be located at a distance from the transmitter-receiver unit. The RFID tag detects the interrogating signal and transmits a response signal containing encoded data back to the receiver.
RFID systems provide identification functions not found in identification technologies such as optical indicia (e.g., bar code) recognition systems. For example, RFID systems may employ RFID tags containing read/write memory of several kilobytes or more. The RFID tags may be readable at a distance and do not require direct line-of-sight view by the reading apparatus (e.g., base station or interrogator). Further, several such RFID tags may be read by the RFID system at one time.
Manufacturers and users of assets such as electronic components, devices, and systems have a need for an efficient means of tracking information about these assets in order to, for example, verify ownership, provide warranty information, prevent counterfeiting of parts, and provide theft recovery. Presently, such information is tracked by placing a serial number on the asset and storing this serial number along with information about the asset in a large, centralized database, typically the database of the manufacturing entity. However, due to the often large size of such a database or a use's inability to efficiently access the database, essential information such as identification (i.e., serial number) for inventory tracking or theft recovery, servicing information (i.e., time of assembly and/or sale, date of last service, date when next service is due, etc) and the like may be difficult to access and track.
Consequently, it would be desirable to apply RFID technology to electronically store information about an asset such as an electronic component, device, or system within the asset in order to provide functions such as, for example, assuring security of the assets, inventory tracking of the assets, identification of the assets, and short distance communication between the assets.